The day after Bush gave Scooter Libby his get-out-of-jail-free card, I’m still disgusted. It’s one thing to expect the worst from those who have no shame and know no limits; it’s another to actually get it. Yes, this president has probably done more offensive things during his reign of error, but commuting Libby’s sentence has […]
Nothing but contempt for the rule of law
George W. Bush was once asked, after presiding over the executions of over 152 Texans, about his reluctance to issue pardons and/or commute sentences. “I don’t believe my role is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own,” Bush said, “unless there are new facts or evidence of which a jury was unaware.” […]
Bush Commutes Libby Prison Sentence
Breaking: President Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case. Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, according to a senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision […]
Monday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * British officials continue to make arrests as part of the investigation into the weekend’s terrorist incidents: “Doctors from Iraq and Jordan were among the eight suspects arrested in the failed car bombings in London and at Glasgow’s airport, officials said Monday. A witness said police were closing in on […]
‘Bring ’em on’
There have been a handful of historic, quintessential Bushisms, but one of the head-shaking classics was offered exactly four years ago today. “There are some who feel like — that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring ’em on. We’ve got the force necessary to deal with the […]
Rove, indictments, and security clearances … oh my
Just how close did Karl Rove come to being indicted by Patrick Fitzgerald? Surprisingly close. The AP reported that several interesting documents related to the Plame leak investigation were unsealed late on Friday, and among the revelations are insights on Fitzgerald targeting Rove. As one judge wrote, “Regarding [Time reporter Matthew] Cooper, the special counsel […]
It’s not the staff; it’s the candidate
About six months ago, John McCain was not only the presumptive favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination, he was the GOP candidate recruiting some of the top campaign talent available. McCain even picked up some of the same people who helped George W. Bush smear him in 2000, assuming it was more important to […]
Libby loses another appeal
If Scooter Libby is counting on a pardon to keep him out of jail, he’ll need Bush to act very quickly. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, must go to prison while appealing his conviction for obstructing a CIA leak probe, a U.S. appeals court said. Libby may be behind […]
Is our president reading?
It’s hardly the most important element of Peter Baker’s piece on Bush’s behind-the-scenes persona, but he does tackle the enduring question: Does Bush read newspapers? To an extent, Bush walls himself off from criticism. He does read newspapers, contrary to public impression, but watches little television news and does not linger in the media echo […]
A failure to communicate?
Towards the end of a report about the Department of Homeland Security responding to possible terrorist threats over the summer, ABC News added a disconcerting tidbit of information: As ABCNews.com reported, U.S. law enforcement officials received intelligence reports two weeks ago warning of terror attacks in Glasgow and Prague, the Czech Republic, against “airport infrastructure […]